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Court Report

Sun, 01/27/2013 - 11:53pm

UATI ENTERS GUILTY PLEA IN FELONY ASSAULTA man, who struck another man with a tire iron, has struck a plea agreement with the government. Uati Tanoa’i is charged with second degree assault and public peace disturbance. Earlier this week, the defendant pled guilty to second degree assault while the public peace disturbance charge was dismissed.Associate Justice Lyle L Richmond accepted the plea agreement and scheduled sentencing for March 22, 2013. According to the government’s case, the defendant and the victim argued over an issue relating to church services that they had both attended. It’s alleged that the pair fought inside a bus, when the defendant grabbed a tire iron and struck the victim on the head, which required treatment. The defendant is represented by Assistant Public Defender Karen Shelley while prosecuting is Assistant Attorney General Julie Pasquale. PLEA OFFERED IN CASE OF MOTHER WHO ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTED HER DAUGHTERThe government handed over a plea offer to a woman who was arrested and charged on allegations that she assaulted her four-year-old daughter last year November. Samoa News opted not to name the defendant to protect the identity of the victim in this matter. The mother is charged with child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. Assistant Public Defender Michael White informed the court that a plea agreement has been received from the government, but they have yet to make a decision on it.White asked the court for another continuance while they work out the offer.Associate Justice Lyle L Richmond granted the request and re-scheduled another pre-trial conference. According to the government’s case, a grandmother walked into the police station reporting that her daughter has beaten her granddaughter. The grandmother told police that her granddaughter had walked from her home, to the Leone gas station, where the gas station attendants contacted her and her brother and they picked up the victim from the gas station and brought her back to her house.The victim had bruises and marks all over her body as if she was beaten. The police approached the child’s mother and transported her to the police station for more questioning. The mother told police the reason she beat her daughter was because she bit an underarm deodorant, played with lotion and got it all over important documents and papers and she also spilled a bottle of gripe water (medicine). Court filings stated the mother admitted to slapping her daughter and used a slipper to hit her. The victim underwent medical treatment where the doctor informed police that the victim suffered bruises on her face, back, on her knees, arms and an abrasion on her bottom lip.